Should you add a Magfence II to your Shopsmith Bandsaw? Let's find out.
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- Опубліковано 24 сер 2024
- After cleaning the rust off of my neighbor Chuck's old Shopsmith bandsaw it's time to play with the Magfence II that Carter Products sent me to try. This product is really cool, but there's a little more to it than meets the eye. If you have a bandsaw with a cast iron table this might be worth a look.
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Here are links to a few of the products I used in the previous video:
🟢 Here's a Magfence II V2 on Amazon: amzn.to/32nSYf4
🟢 Here's a slightly less expensive Magfence II V1 on Amazon NOTE, this version does not have the leveling screws: amzn.to/2ROqZmZ
🟢 Turns out there are two hights of sacrificial UHMW fences for the Magfence II. Here's the 3" version I used in this video: amzn.to/3ednqOz
🟢 Here's the 5" sacrificial UHMW fence for the Magfence II amzn.to/3suhMfZ
🟢 This sliding T-Bevel is very similar to the one I inherited from my father-in-law, and it is handy because it locks from the bottom, which I find is less likely to move when tightening: amzn.to/3n2kE2O
🟢 Check-out the massive range of Magswitch products: amzn.to/3duZQh4
🟢 This is the Timber Wolf 1/2" x 72" 4 TPI bandsaw blade that I use for all resawing the Shopsmith bandsaw: amzn.to/34ShtU5 It's a poor choice for the second cut I made in 3/4" stock. I normally I'd use the following blade.
🟢 Here's my go-to 1/4" Timber Wolf bandsaw blade: amzn.to/3lcuf4L
🟢 My favorite 9" long T-handle "Shopsmith Toolbox" 5/32" Hex Wrench: amzn.to/3sm3NcJ
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#ShospmithBandsaw #ShopsmithCastIronTable #Magfence
I have a Magfence II I purchased in April 2015. I like it a lot. When you started adjusting it square, I got confused because I didn't remember adjusting screws. I stopped the video and went to the shop to check. No adjustments. While I was at it, I checked it for square. It was dead square.
I can use and do use this fence anywhere I have a cast iron table. I have a substantial drill press with a 19-inch wide castiron table that it stays on most of the time.
Storage is easy. I use the magnets and stick it to a leg using the magnets.
Hey Robert. Yeah, I didn't realize that the leveling screws were new until someone mentioned it. It turns out it's the Magnafence II V2, which seems a bit redundant. I can see how it could be very handy on a drill press like that. I can also see how adding a third or fourth Magswitch could make it even more universal. Great idea for storage! I'll make sure to pass that along. Scott
I bet Chuck is going to love his new rip fence!!
I handed him back his bandsaw and he wasn’t angry. The fence is a loaner from Carter, so it’s going back to them.
I made my own Sacrificial Wear Face from a cutting board I bought at SAMs club. I have a short one that is the same height as the fence and a taller one that just barely fits on the Shopsmith bandsaw. They are easy to make.
Wow Scott, that table sure looks a whole lot better now.
Thanks. It’s not perfect because I discovered it has some serious pitting in a few spots. Still, it felt good to hand it back today. Scott
Scott: I almost thought that was my Shopsmith bandsaw with the Carter Magfence II, on the old polished cast iron table!
I had replaced the Shopsmith newer aluminum table with the older cast iron table to be able and use the Shopsmith miter gage as a fence - it worked. Then I tried the Carter Magfence II on both my Delta and Shopsmith band saws and loved it! I made my own sacrificial 5-1/2” high fence from an old 1/2” thick cutting board using nylon screws - it works great.
Excellent! How do you set the fence? Have you tried the F.A.S.T. Blocks?
@@MyGrowthRings Scott: I just recently bought the F.A.S.T. blocks. After hours of sanding and polishing the old cast-iron table, I used a F.A.S.T. block to align the table. By measuring from the parallel miter slot, I was able to align the Carter Magfence II. Just like your first cut, mine was also a true parallel cut. When I change blades, I expect changes, so I will adjust as required.
Thanks for all the fantastic videos. I bought my first Shopsmith 4 years ago, and with the info from your videos, I’m learning the does, the don’ts and whys. Thank you.
Fine job. Thank you, Scott.
Very welcome
Excellent demo/review I have that exact bandsaw I think I’m gonna buy one of these things.
Scott, once again great video. Nice to know there are other options out their other than the miter gauge.
Kreg also sells a fence that can be used on the Shopsmith bandsaw with the aluminum table, but I don't think it'll work with the cast iron one. I guess I have some research to do. Scott
All I could think of watching this video was the movie "Something about Mary"
Lol
Oh?
I've had the magfence II on my shopsmith for a few months. I love having it, not sure what I would do without it. It hasn't gone out of square veritcallt since I set it.
I just have to make my own "square" set to the blade drift. That will solve the issue of having to re-find that angle every time I reset the fence/miter gauge to 90⁰.
I guess that would be a jig not a square since it's not actually square lol... either way you know what I mean.
Yes, I do and yes, you do!
Cool product. I noticed there are actually 2 different versions on amazon. The link provided is to the one that does not have the adjustable leveling screws. The version with the leveling adjustment is listed as the CARTER MAGFENCE II V2 Universal Magnetic Fence.
Thanks for the heads-up. I’ll have to update the links. Scott
Just take my money now! What a great overview.
Thanks, John.
It seems to me a highly engineered and machined fence product should have been dead on square to the table from the factory. We use hand squares all the time that are accurate, so I wonder why they had to introduce an adjustment device to square up the fence. Any thoughts on that? Love the channel, Glen, not Sandy
You would think so, but I suspect the issue is the connection between the extrusion and the Magswitch. They could have used some form of shim to correct that alignment but their solution works too.
Scott, very cool!
Love the pipe!
Thanks, John.
As you probably know, you can buy the switches separately in different pounds of force, then you can make your own fences of any design to match your need.
Yep, they are really versatile.
fantastic piece of equipment, thanks for sharing.
It’s pretty slick.
Here are just a few of my thoughts... First, I love the blue color LOL. Secondly, as I think another personal already mentioned, changing the depth of cut with this looks to be a slightly more time consuming endeavor than using the miter gauge. Luckily for me I have two Shopsmith miter gauges so I can dedicate one to use on the bandsaw. I would like to see if there is an aftermarket fence, similair to this that I can simply attach to the Shopsmith miter gauge. :)
Yes, I think this would really shine when used with the F.A.S.T. alignment blocks that are made to be used with it. I have them in my shopping cart!
Nifty. But since I have a perfectly functioning fence with my miter gauge, I can't see springing for it. And with the miter gauge I like that I can adjust the depth of cut without having to re-align the fence (not that that's a very big deal).
If it ain’t broke...
That works rather darn well. Now, if they could just invent an aluminum magnet!
My grandson loves to use my adjustable bevel gauge. He calls it an Angleometer.
I’ve learned to live with my aluminum tables and fences. In fact, I’ve accumulated dozens of tips and jigs over the years.
But, the one thing that I still haven’t figured out is, “Why didn’t Shopsmith adopt the standard .750” wide miter slot width?” My second hand tenoning jig has the guide replaced with a custom UHMW part that I made. Feather boards, hold downs and any number of other accessories that I have were also modified to fit. Fortunately for me, a buddy of mine has a machine shop. I had him surface grind a 3/4”X12”X24”piece of UHMW years ago, to fit the slot width.
When I need a guide I just rip a slice off the edge. I have about 6” left. My next jig project will be a table saw miter sled.
But still, I wonder why they didn’t just confirm to the standard?
Thanx for the review... wish I could use it!
I know, right? I considered epoxying some magnets or steel under the table. Keep in mind that when Magna designed their tools there wasn't a standard size. I have a Craftsman table saw that has a miter bar that's around 1" wide and 1/4" thick. There are two reasons why they won't or haven't changed their miter bar size, or their blade arbor size: 1.) There is now over 65 years of Shopsmith Mark V tools in use that have the Shopsmith "standard". 2.) They have a captive audience! Why would they give that up? It's really too late to change. For a number of years in the1990's Shopsmith operated under the brand name "Woodworking Unlimited" and during that time they offered their accessories, like their miter gauge and their crosscut sliding table with a 3/4" x 3/8" bar along side the Shopsmith size accessories, but they didn't make a change to their slot. Scott
@@MyGrowthRings Good points.... I understand their thinking.... just wish they partnered with more accessory suppliers to increase the available Shopsmith compatible jigs, fixtures, etc.
On the other hand it has improved my creativity!
Thanks Scott.
Genius product. I have 2 SS Bandsaws both with Aluminium tables so no use to me! Is there anything you haven't found yet? :-)
I’m sure there is!
Scott, other than the magswitches I don't see any advantage over using two pieces of MDF or plywood screwed together at 90-degrees and two clamps. The Carter bandsaw fence has no mechanism to maintain the drift angle as you adjust the width of cut. I believe Kreg's bandsaw fence (don't own one) would be a better after-market option for those who don't have the Shopsmith miter gauge.
That’s all true and yes, I’m a sucker for magnets!
@@MyGrowthRings You can buy the magswitches separately.
@@kamleo1685 Correct. That’s actually the photo I shared in the video.
I would be interested in knowing the t-slot dimensions of that fence. Quality and versatility look to be of high marks.
I’ll measure and report back.
My Magfence II is not square. It is not adjustable and has no holes in it to even put any adjustment screws.
I’d suggest you call Carter. I suspect they’d be able to do something about it.
That cast iron table looks great. What did you use to clean it? I just picked up an older shopsmith bandsaw and have a rusty table that needs some cleaning.
Evaporust bath?
Here's a quick vid that explains the process. ua-cam.com/video/Eir64Qoap0A/v-deo.html
Not on this one, though I am an Evaporust fan.
Thanks you Scott !! I've been trying to find a Band saw fence for my cast iron table for a while now. Do you know why SS never made one ?? I just figured it out a while back. Been beating the bushes to find one and noticed that even The Shop Smith Store doesn't have one .... this appears to be a great answer to the problem !! Thanks for yet another informative video !!
Hey Art. I guess that since they designed it to use a miter gauge as a fence they felt that need had already been addressed.
I have two Shopsmith bandsaws, a newer one with the aluminum table and fence, and an older version with the cast iron table. I like the Magfence, so which bandsaw should I use?
Cast iron it is. I’ll explain more in the follow-up episode. Scott
Almost makes me wish I had a cast iron table on my bandsaw instead of aluminum! LOL
I know the feeling.
Is it practical to flip the Magfence other-way-round so that the short side is closest the the bade? Would this help for shorter stock where you may wish to lower the blade guard but cannot due to the height of the fence. I suppose this is a problem for any fence.
Sure, it would work just fine in that position.
It looks like a great bandsaw fence....too bad I have the aluminum table bandsaw
There are pros and cons to each, that’s for sure.
I think that you've caused a run on the Magfences - the v2 versions with the setscrews to help alignment seem to be out of stock in the US and are maybe not even available here in the UK. Avoid the Magfence II v1 - there seem to be significant alignment problems with them. Somebody really should set up a business supplying US goods like this to the UK. Also secondhand Shopsmith parts. You can get them shipped here but the shipping costs are often more than the purchase price.
Hey Graham. I wonder if those fences on Amazon are being sold by Carter or if it's a reseller who is posting them? If it's Carter you'd think they wouldn't have a cap on their supply. Are most of the people who sell Shopsmith parts via eBay not willing to ship internationally? Scott
It looks like v2 is sold by Carter but won't ship to the UK. Prime Tools is selling v1 without a health warning but will ship to the UK. Here's an example of a typical new list from an eBay seller who is prepared to ship to the UK: Shopsmith miter gauge purchase price £52.05 + postage and import duties £59.09. Import duties should only be £10.41, so they are charging a whopping £48.68 for shipping!
Your neighbor is a lucky guy! Any chance your moving the the Chicago Suburbs? I’ve got some tools I’d like to loan you...
Well, I do like you pizza, but I think we are going to stick with NC BBQ.
@@MyGrowthRings you haven’t tried my bbq. I might be able to sway you...
How did tou get that much clearance with a ss bandsaw? My guard is at max 4" abovethetable.
Something is misaligned because they’ve had 6” of clearance since the bandsaw was introduced in the 1950’s.
I made my own Sacrificial Wear Face from a cutting board I bought at SAMs club. I have a short one that is the same height as the fence and a taller one that just barely fits on the Shopsmith bandsaw. They are easy to make.